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Thursday

20

August 2009

Splashing Dolphins Elicit Lawsuit

Written by , Posted in The Courts, Criminal Justice & Tort

Woman who slipped at dolphin show sues zoo

A Chicago woman on Tuesday filed suit against Brookfield Zoo claiming she was injured after she slipped and fell on a wet walkway at a dolphin show at the zoo in August 2008. The plaintiff, Allecyn Edwards, is seeking more than $50,000 in damages for her injuries.

According to the lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Aug. 18, Edwards visited the zoo on Aug. 20, 2008, and attended one of the dolphin shows. While walking in the bleacher section of the exhibit area, Edwards fell and sustained injuries not specified in the lawsuit.

In this latest lawsuit, Edwards alleges that the zoo was negligent in “recklessly and willfully” training its dolphins to splash water at spectators and onto the walkways, not warning spectators to beware of the slippery floor and not providing slip-proof mats or strips for spectator safety.

How embarrassing it must be to admit that you need someone to inform you to be careful on a slippery floor.

A commenter at Overlawyered asks if there is still liability if they didn’t do it on porpoise.  I hate myself for chuckling.